Prospective condo purchasers with a passion for locally sourced produce might want to consider a unit at Local at Fort York.

Local — the third project in the Onni Group of Companies’ four-phase master-planned community at Fort York — will have a rooftop garden, a spot where agriculturally adept residents can grow their very own supply of fruits and veggies.

By:Ryan StarrSpecial to the Star, Published on Thu May 03 2012

Prospective condo purchasers with a passion for locally sourced produce might want to consider a unit at Local at Fort York.

Local — the third project in Onni Group of Companies’ four-phase master-planned community at Fort York — will have a rooftop garden, a spot where agriculturally adept residents can grow their very own supply of fruits and veggies.

“We’ve done this out west,” notes Marc Nufrio, development manager with Vancouver-based Onni. “It’s a community garden with individual plots, so you can be on your rooftop gardening with your neighbours but have your own plot.”

The previous two phases of Onni’s Fort York development, Garrison and The Yards, are both over 75 per cent sold. (In Etobicoke, the builder is developing Westlake Village, a three-tower project at 2200 Lake Shore Blvd.)

Local’s amenities — situated on top of the seven-floor podium — include a gym and a rooftop terrace with a lounge and dining and barbecue area. The condo will also have a multi-purpose room with lounge, bar and private dining room.

The Fort York neighbourhood has seen a great deal of development in recent years as it transitions from an industrial area to a high-density mixed-use community. In addition to Onni’s four-phase community, there is Lanterra Development’s WaterParkCity, Plazacorp’s West Harbour City and Malibu Investments’ LTD condos.

A series of significant community improvements are planned to service this burgeoning condo cluster.

The city is looking at building a new pedestrian and cycle bridge that will span the rail corridor and link Fort York with Stanley Park in the King West neighbourhood.

There are also plans to extend Bremner Blvd. from Spadina Ave. through to Bathurst St. to connect with Fort York Blvd. (Currently motorists living in the Fort York neighbourhood who want to access the Gardiner Expressway must drive up Bathurst, go east across Front St. and down Spadina in order to reach the highway.)

One block to the west of Local at Fort York, June Callwood Park, slated for completion by 2013, will serve as the central public space for neighbourhood activities.

There are also plans for a new Loblaws grocery store at Bathurst and Lake Shore Blvd. W. The facility will incorporate the facade of the existing Loblaw Groceterias warehouse, a heritage building that dates from the 1920s.

The store will be a significant addition to the retail offerings that have come as a result of the condo construction in the Fort York neighbourhood.

For its part, Onni will be introducing approximately 20,000 square feet of shops and services via its Fort York community (though no tenants have been announced yet.)

Local at Fort York is being targeted at young professionals looking to buy a first home. “They want to be close to the downtown core, but they’re not looking to pay core prices,” Nufrio explains. “They want to work and live in the city and avoid the commute in from the suburbs.”

More on thestar.com

We value respectful and thoughtful discussion. Readers are encouraged to flag comments that fail to meet the standards outlined in our
Community Code of Conduct.
For further information, including our legal guidelines, please see our full website
Terms and Conditions.